Front sprocket vs. rear sprocket change?

[Chackster]

Planning a few mod projects for the winter while the bike is off the road. One of them being a sprocket change. What is the difference between going -1 on the front vs. going + 2 or 3 on the rear. I'm think I would get similar results but I'm sure there's a catch? Also, why would I want a 530 vs. a 520 chain?

 

[AJ_rider]

Stock FZ6 gearing is 16/46 or ~0.347.

Going -1 in the front changes this to 15/46 or ~0.326.

Now if you were to only go +3 in the rear you would have 16/49 or ~0.326.

So to answer your question, going -1 in the front is approximately the same ratio as going +3 in the rear. A common mod is to go -1/+2, which is 15/48 or 0.3125. The lower the ratio the quicker the acceleration and higher RPMs, however you will have less top end speed. There is no catch, only that going -1 in the front is a quicker/easier install IMHO than going +3 in the rear.

Also regarding your chain questions, usually a change is made to a 520 chain to save weight as they are lighter than a 530 chain.

 

[reiobard]

and as far as your other question,520 vs 530 chain is the width of the chain, 520 will technically be lighter, while 530 is theoretically stronger, it is a trade off...

I also 2nd the -1 in the front equaling +3 in the rear...

 

[Chackster]

So I guess what I was asking was, aside from the difference in cost, is there any difference between going down in the front versus up in the rear as far at tooth count goes? ie. are they just different means to the same end? Is there any reason I would want to change one versus the other, or both?

 

[chiller]

maybe someone else can shed some light on it, but i thought i remember reading that doing the -1 up front makes that sprocket shaft spin faster, creating faster wear on the shaft and on the chain ( because now the chain has to wrap around a smaller diameter ) where going to a bigger sprocket in the back makes it just go around a larger diameter does not affect the spin ...

maybe someone else can answer as well, our speedo's i take it will be that much further 'off' if we change the sprockets right?

 

[Chackster]

I do know that a speedohealer is a must after a sprocket change, Speedo will read much higher than actual and the odometer will also begin to count miles that were never ridden.

 

[Nelly]

This is an add in not a :hijack:

When installing the speedo healer, will it need to be re-calibrated after the smaller sprocket install? if I have already calibrated it for the standard sprocket?

As for extra wear I think its negligible when installing the smaller 15T sprocket?
A speedo healer will be required if you want accurate speedo readings and Odo readings after the 15T mod.

 

[AJ_rider]

When installing the speedo healer, will it need to be re-calibrated after the smaller sprocket install? if I have already calibrated it for the standard sprocket?

Yes, you would want to re-calibrate the speedohealer if you make any gearing changes.

I have mine set to -11.1 right now with the -1 mod as indicated by the speedohealer webstie, however, I'm thinking its a little too much as I feel like I'm going faster than my indicated speed. What is everyone else setting their speedohealer to?

Unfortunately I dont have a GPS to fully test my settings.

 

[opds9091]

I did the -1/+2 and i have the speedometer. I went to the speedometer web site and after putting in my old and new sprockets, there is a -14.8 difference. So i followed there instructions and now it's dead on. The instruction are easy to follow. "After i put the sprockets on the bike, it is unreal in low-mid and high power". If you have the money to do the conversion, DO THE MOD.

 

[urbanj]

i set it to -11.1 as well and when going past the speed markers they say the same speed i show so for me its accurate enough.

 

[dako81]

You may have to add links to go + in the rear, and your chain will wear faster if you go - in the front. It will be going around a smaller circle and have a higher angular velocity. Now, how much faster will the chain wear? I don't know. Also, if you do the front you will probably have to use more of your chian adjustment with the rear axle, but you probably won't have to remove a link in the chain.

A 530 chain is more of a heavy duty chain than a 520, but the 520 is lighter and in some cases just as strong, especially racing chains.

 

[opds9091]

I agree with dako but if you buy the conversion kit you can tell them what type of chain, color, sprocket sizes and color. Basically you can get it any way you want.

 

[opds9091]

here is the conversion kit i went with

 

[Chackster]

Where did you get it from?

 

[opds9091]

EBAY LOL, i think it was $150 to my door.

 

[corekneelius]

ive been considering this mod for quite some time, and i am still unsure the exact differences between chains (i know one is thicker, one is lighter, ect)? bottom line, is a new chain necessary for the front -1 mod? new chain for +3 rear mod? new chain for -1 +2 mod?

sorry if its posted elsewhere, mozilla is acting up and havent been able to access the search function today

 

[Chackster]

The 520 chain is lighter. Thus will result in less rotational mass? ( I think that the term, or something like it. I'm a biologist, not a physicist.) Basically its a lighter chain and will work decrease the mass that has to travel around the sprocket. In short, it will work to give you more acceleration versus the 530. But since its lighter, you will get less life out of the chain.
Regardless of whether or not you go 520 or stay with 530, you are definitely going to want to replace the chain whenever you replace the sprockets. Your current chain is going to be "shaped" and worn by the current sprockets and won't fit well onto new ones. I am new at this, but this is what I understand thus far after the research I've done.

 

[formula154]

ive been considering this mod for quite some time, and i am still unsure the exact differences between chains (i know one is thicker, one is lighter, ect)? bottom line, is a new chain necessary for the front -1 mod? new chain for +3 rear mod? new chain for -1 +2 mod?

sorry if its posted elsewhere, mozilla is acting up and havent been able to access the search function today

You do not have to change the chain. If all you change is the rear with a +3 you may not have enough chain for the 3 extra teeth. -1 in the front is just one tooth smaller. -1 front & +2 back is just 1 ltooth bigger. +3 in the back is 3 teeth bigger and it might be a problem. The sprockets that are sold for a FZ6 are either 530 or they are 520. The chains are either 520 or 530. If you change out your sprockets and keep 530 sprockets then put a 520 chain on I don't believe it will fit. I went -1,+2 and kept my old chain. It fits perfectly with no problems at all.

 

[formula154]

maybe someone else can shed some light on it, but i thought i remember reading that doing the -1 up front makes that sprocket shaft spin faster, creating faster wear on the shaft and on the chain ( because now the chain has to wrap around a smaller diameter ) where going to a bigger sprocket in the back makes it just go around a larger diameter does not affect the spin ...

maybe someone else can answer as well, our speedo's i take it will be that much further 'off' if we change the sprockets right?

It doesn't make any difference how many teeth you have in the front and how many you have in the back. As long as the gear ratio is the same the sprocket shaft will spin at the same speed. -1 in front or +3 in the back, the sprocket shaft will spin the same.

 

[opds9091]

So I finally got around to redoing or correcting my SPEED-O-HEALER. NO problems with the install, as a matter of fact they are so Persis. Going from 16/46 to 15/48 calculating for a 5% factory margin of error (i have no clue using these big words) but the correction was -14.8. So next you go to the bike and follow the instructions step buy step and thats it, done. Its raining so i will check it out tomorrow. The radder that my friend cop was a little off.